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These Baseball Previews Go To 11 - Arizona Diamondbacks

Most of your baseball previews are playing their hearts out but they stop at 10. Where can these other blokes go? We like to push things over the cliff at The Feed though so you know what we do? That's right. We turn it up to 11. Three things to like, three things to worry about, three questions to answer, one kid on the farm and one predicted finish. That adds up to the most powerful preview you can find. Because it goes to 11 and there’s none more louder, really, than 11. Check the rest of ‘em out here.

3 Things To Like

Youth gone wild. The Diamondbacks are probably the most envied organization in all of baseball for their mix of solid young veterans, younger potential All-Stars and a few older players sprinkled in to give the youngest baby snakes a bit more time to incubate on the farm. Stephen Drew, Conor Jackson and Carlos Quentin are poised to build off impressive debuts while Miguel Montero and Chris Young hope for similar rookie results as they join the lineup this time around. The spending spree that got them the 2001 championship resulted in serious debt, building around so much youth will get them out from under without sacrificing the win column.

Brandon Webb. Only 28, Webb has established himself as the best pitcher in the National League and the leader of a rebuilt Diamondback rotation. He throws a ridiculously heavy sinker that results in almost 70% ground balls but unlike Chien-Ming Wang and other practicioners of the sink, he strikes out batters in bunches. A solid candidate to repeat as Cy Young winner.

Orlando Hudson. The rare D-Back who has shed his skin more than once, the O-Dog had a big second half to cap his first season as a National Leaguer. He’ll set the tone at the top of the lineup, so the Snakes hope that his .389 second-half on-base percentage is predictive of his 2007 but they’ll take his .354 overall if his glove and power remain healthy.

3 Things To Worry About

The bullpen. You can’t win ‘em all and for the Diamondbacks the big loser is the relief corps. Jose Valverde is back for another year as the closer and his inconsistency will keep Mylanta sales high in the desert. Jorge Julio was traded to Florida, leaving the likes of Brandon Medders, Tony Pena and Brandon Lyon to rescue the starters. They are okay, one and all, but none makes a tempting replacement for Valverde.

Livan Hernandez. He was getting tuned up in Washington before heading out West for his final 10 starts and morphing back into the innings-gobbling above-average Major League starter he’s been, on and off, for a decade. He throws more pitches than a Hollywood screenwriter but shows no visible wear and tear for all his effort. Why worry then? That stint in the Capital, for one thing, and a Hernandez brother’s going to hit a wall, for another, and it won’t be pretty.

Eric Byrnes. Byrnes set a career high with 26 homers last year but he matched his power spike with a customarily low .313 on-base percentage. He’s miscast as a regular in the corner of the outfield but with Young and Quentin already up in center and right, respectively, Arizona doesn’t have a younger, cheaper or better option. They do have Jeff DaVanon and Scott Hairston as options but the former’s hurt and the latter is a born DH.

3 Questions To Answer

Was it New York or is the Unit done? The trade that brought Randy Johnson back to Chase Field is the kind of risk worth taking, especially since it didn’t cost the Diamondbacks any of their many upper echelon prospects. If Johnson recovers some productivity in the friendlier atmosphere they’ve got themselves a salty starter to back up Webb and if he doesn’t, well, they still have a bunch of guys who can take his place in 2008 and beyond.

Who is Chad Tracy? In an era with David Wright, Aramis Ramirez, Miguel Cabrera and Ryan Zimmerman, someone’s sure to catch the short end of the stick among National Leaguers on the hot corner. It appears Tracy has drawn the short straw but if he’s under-recognized by the nation, he won’t be as long as keeps hitting .290 with 25 home runs and 80 RBI every season.

Are they too young? That’s the question of all questions for the Diamondbacks. If the pitching doesn’t come through, the team may struggle to be a consistent winner. Young players go through slumps and those slumps will surely affect a team with as many first and second year regulars as the Snakes. But if Webb, Johnson, Hernandez and Doug Davis provide stability on the mound the bats should come through often enough to keep Arizona well above .500.

1 Kid On The Farm (For Now)

It’s almost unfair how deep the farm system goes in Arizona. All the regulars in their early 20’s and in the lineup are just the surface, down below are players like Justin Upton, Carlos Gonzalez and unsigned ’06 first-rounder Max Scherzer, who have All-Star written all over them. But none will start cashing in on that hype in ’07. Dustin Nippert, on the other hand, is battling for the fifth starter job and if he doesn’t win it outright will be on Alert 5 for a call-up in case of injury or ineffectiveness. He was one of the pitching prospects the Yankees didn’t get in the Johnson deal but probably one of the ones they should have held out for.

1 Prediction About Their Finish

If players like Drew, Quentin and Young had a little bit more of a track record in the show I would have little compunction about picking ‘Zona to finish first in the West. The Padres have superior pitching and more power but, if everyone keeps developing on schedule, they will have their hands full with a team that’s just starting to scratch the surface of their full abilities. That’s where the veteran rotation, Hudson and Tracy come into play. If they keep things headed in the right direction when the wetness behind the ears shows up, the Diamondbacks shouldn’t be out of the division or wild card race all year.

Comments

You guys seen the game, unbelievable, Diamondbacks is my best team in the MLB. I wish I could go to watch all their games but ticket prices this season are getting very pricy. Brokers made the game hard to attend. Well talking about Brokers. I found a new web site where you can compare Arizona Diamondbacksticket brokers, the site is http://www.ticketwood.com/mlb/Arizona-Diamondbacks-Tickets/index.php . Well I hope this will be helpful for you guys. Go Go Diamondbacks. Keep me updated Great blog!!!

You guys seen the game, unbelievable, Diamondbacks is my best team in the MLB. I wish I could go to watch all their games but ticket prices this season are getting very pricy. Brokers made the game hard to attend. Well talking about Brokers. I found a new web site where you can compare Arizona Diamondbacks ticket brokers, the site is
ticketwood.com . Well I hope this will be helpful for you guys. Go Go Diamondbacks. Keep me updated Great blog!!!